This Barometer would have been useful for John Jay as a gentleman farmer. It contains mercury, and measures not only the temperature, but also barometric pressure, which can aid in predicting short-term weather. Farmers, like Jay, could dictate the day’s work based upon the forecast. Come see the barometer, and learn about Jay’s relationship with fellow farmer…

This plaster bust of Revolutionary War Naval Commander John Paul Jones was done by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1787. Often referred to as “The Father of the American Navy,” Jones had several copies of the original marble bust made and sent to John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and other important figures in the Early Republic. The…

John Jay’s original celestial globe is an optical planetarium, made by notable British globe makers William Bardin and his son Thomas Marriot Bardin, who began production of their globes in 1790. The celestial map shows positions of stars, clusters, nebula, and planetary bulae. The months of the year and corresponding zodiac signs are around the base. The…

On a recent visit to the Cooper Hewitt, some of the Homestead’s staff had the opportunity to see a Surtout de Table (Table centerpiece) made by Pierre-Philippe Thomire. It is said to have been a present from Napoleon to his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais. Elements from that piece are almost identical to those seen on…

Owned by John Jay’s wife, Sarah Livingston Jay, this c. 1710 Peter Van Dyke (1684-1750) teapot was originally made for her Aunt and passed to her through her mother. It was owned by three subsequent generations of the Jay family until Pierre Jay (1870-1949) loaned it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it spent…

This green silk coin purse engraved with “Miss Jay” on the silver frame, belonged to either Nancy or Sarah Louisa Jay, John Jay’s two younger daughters. Coin purses constructed with rigid frames came into popularity in the early 19th century. Often the metal frames were purchased, and the fabric bags were knitted by young women…

This Gouache (a type of opaque watercolor) is one of a pair that were painted by Maria Jay Banyer, John Jay’s daughter, when she was 18. They depict the Falls of Lodore in Cumbria County, England. Maria copied the original paintings by William Burgess. Maria was a well-educated, and talented artist who continued to draw and…

This work table is part of a pair that belonged to Nancy and Maria Jay, who were the daughters of John Jay. The sliding fabric screen on the table could be raised, which allowed a woman to work near a fire and protect her face from any discomfort or injury. The tables were commonly used…

This dressing mirror, or toilette de lit, was commissioned by Napoleon for his second wife, Princess Marie Louise of Austria-Hungary, to celebrate their wedding in 1810. Made by Martin Guillame-Biennais, First Goldsmith to the Emperor, the piece is awash with imperial symbolism and features a depiction of the Aldobrandini Wedding by engraver Augustin Dupré. It…